Needle-threader



`Fan. l2, 1937.

D. H. cHAsoN "121157376 NEEDLE THREADER Y Filed March 22. 1955 Patented Jan. l2, i937 NEEDLE -THREADER Daniel H. Cha-son, Elizabeth, N. J., assigner to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 22,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machine needle-threaders and has for an object to provide a needle-threader which will handle silk as well as cotton threads of the various sizes and textures customarily used with sewing machines, without splitting, fraying or being caught by the fibres of such threads. Another object of the invention is to provide a needle-threader which may be readily manipulated by the operator with materially decreased danger of catching in the eye of the sewing machine needle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a needle-threader the hook of which is so constructed as to minimize the dangers of catching and splitting the fibres of the thread-particularly silk thread-and of being broken or deformed under normal operating conditions.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawing of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled' in the art.

A feature of the invention is the formation of the threader-hook from piano wire and the provision of a bent portion forming a blunt nose at the free end of the hook-forming portion of the wire.

Another feature of the invention is the formation of the threader-hook from spring wire; the hook being shaped to provide an outwardly aring' mouth and a restricted thread-receiving throat which is narrower than the normal or uncompressed diameter of a conventional sewing machine thread, so that the thread may be passed laterally of itself into the hook and then released without danger that it will slip out of the hook prior to withdrawal of the hook from the eye of the sewingA machine needle.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a side elevation of a combined needle-threader and seam-ripper embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a sideV elevation of the threader with the front guard-plate removed. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the threader including the guard-plates. Fig. 4 is a similar View with the guard-plates removed. Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, enlarged sections on the lines 5 5 and 6--6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a disassembled perspective view of the guard-plates. Figs. 8 and 9 are, respectively, enlarged sections on the lines 8-8 and 9 9, Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is a side elevation ofthe threader inserted in the eye 1935, Serial No. 12,354

of a sewing machine needle to illustrate the method of using the device. Fig. 11 is an enlarged side elevation of the threader-hook. Fig. l2 is a similar view of a modified form of the threader-hook. Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of the threader-supporting shank showing the threader-positioning grooves, and Fig. 14 is a section on the line Ill-IIL Fig. 13.

I represents a suitable handle such as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 712,123, led February 20, 1934. Pivotally mounted at 2 and 3 in the handle I are the seam-ripping knife 4 and needle-threader 5, respectively, either of which may be swung about its pivot from closed to open position, as the blade of a pocket knife.

The needle-threader 5 comprises a flat supporting shank in the form of a bar 3 of rectangular cross-section reduced in thickness at its free end to form a flat face l and a positioning shoulder 3 for the shank 9 of the threader implement which is preferably formed from a tough highgrade spring-steel wire, of circular section, such as piano wire. The diameter of the wire is preferably about 6 mils. The shank 9 is formed at its base end with a right-angularly-bent positioning portion ID which is seated against the positioning shoulder 8 and in a groove 8 at the base of the shoulder 8 of the supporting shank 6. The horizontal shank portion S of the threader wire is seated in the positioning groove 9 in the face i of the bar 6 and both the horizontal shank portion 9 and vertical base portion Ill of the wire are clamped to their seats by the head of the screw I I. The head of the screw II is thin and does not project beyond the plane of the front face of the threader-supporting shank B.

The threader Wire shank 9 is bent upon itself at its free end to form the hook l2, Fig. l1, and the free end I3 of the hook-forming portion I2 of the wire is bent outwardly and back upon itself to form a rounded blunt nose Ill defining with the shank 9 the outwardly flaring, smooth, threadreceiving mouth I5 which leads to the hook cavity ESC through the restricted throat IEX; the latter being narrower than the normal or uncompressed diameter of a conventional sewing machine thread and preferably standing slightly open, say a distance of 2 mils. The maximum width of the hook-end of the threader is slightly less than the length of the eye of the smallest conventional sewing machine needle, so that the hook may be freely inserted therein. The return-bent portion I3 of the hook is within the maximum allowable width of the hook proper which is preferably from 22 to 24 mils.

Slidably mounted on the threader-supporting shank or bar 6 is a threader-guard in the form of a casing comprising two separable sheet-metal half-sections llia and I 5a held together by a screw I6 which passes through the slot II in the threader-supporting shank t. The section I @e of the guard is formed with an inwardly struck tongue I8 which enters the slot Il and is engaged by one end of a coil-spring I9 the other end of which is gripped by the inwardly extending ribs 2i?.

'I'he guard sections Ida and I5a are formed near their free ends with contacting faces 2| in which are formed the registering guiding or steadying grooves 22, Figs. 'I and 9, for the shank 9 of the threader wire. Beyond the contacting faces ZI the guard sections are formed with fingers 23 which are spaced apart suiciently to clear the wire 9, as shown in Fig. 10. The fingers 23 diverge at their free ends and constitute a needlecontacting and centering mouth 2d, Fig. 3.

It will be seen from Figs. l, 2 and 3 that the threader-hook l2, as well as its shank 9, normally lies in a protected position within the guard-member Ilia, I52v which slides freely on the supporting shank t and is yieldingly urged to hook-protecting position by the spring I9. The guard-section Ide is formed with a clearance depression 25 for the end of the screw II and the inner end 26 of such depression is engaged by the screw II and constitutes a stop for limiting the outward movelnent of the guard Ilia, I5a under the influence of the spring I9. The guard-sections are formed with guide-lips 2 which slidably engage the top and bottom edges of the threader-supporting shank 6 and one -of these lips is extended at 21 beyond the face of the opposed guard section to constitute a thumb-catch facilitating the opening of the threader from its closed position shown in dotted lines in Fig. I,

To use the device it should be held horizontally and the flared mouth 2t of the guard applied to the blade of the needle 2B close to the needle-eye 29. By applying a light endwise pressure to handle I, while moving the latter up or down, the threader-hook I2 will be felt to enter the eye of the needle through which it is then projected to the position shown in Fig. 10 by a further gentle endwise movement of the handle I. The thread 3E! is then passed to the rear of the threader-hook and is brought forwardly and upwardly under the hook-shank and then preferably passed laterally of itself through the throat I5X and into the hookcavity ISC, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 10. The thread-end should then preferably be released and the threader lifted slightly as its threaded hook is drawn through the needle-eye. By virtue of the provision of the narrow throat IEX there is no danger that the thread will, after being released, slip laterally of itself out of the hook prior to withdrawal of the hook from the eye of the needle.

During the passage of the thread 30 through the restricted throat IEX, the thread may be squeezed somewhat by its contact with the opposed walls of the throat. Also, the throat may be momentarily sprung open by the pressuire of the thread passing therethrough; the nose I4 returning to its normal or unsprung position, Fig. l1, after the hook is threaded. The hook-cavity Ic is large enough to receive a conventional sewing machine thread and permit the thread to reeve freely lengthwise of itself through said cavity as the hook is withdrawn from the needle 28.

The return bend I3 at the end of the hook wire forms a smooth outwardly aring mouth for reception of the sliding thread Si) in its movement from full line to dotted line position, Fig. 10. Also the blunt rounded nose I formed by such bend is not apt to catch upon the needle-eye and` slips readily into and through such eye in the withdrawal movement of the hook.

In the modified form of hook shown in Fig. 12, the shank 9' is bent upon itself at its free end to form the open hook I2 and the free end I3 of the hook-forming portion I2 of the wire is bent inwardly upon itself to form the rounded blunt nose I4 at the outwardly flaring, smooth, threadreceiving mouth I5' leading through the restricted throat I5 to the hook-cavity ld.

It will be observed that the bent positioning portion I!) of the threader wire lies in the same vertical plane with the hook I2. Conquently, when the positioning portion IB is clamped against the Vertical face 'I of the supporting shank 6 by the screw I I, the hook I2 is thereby correctly positioned in a plane parallel to the plane of. the face 1.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:-

1. A needle-threader comprising a piece of spring wire of uniform cross-section bent at one end to form a resilient thread-hook small enough to freely enter the eye of a conventional sewing machine needle, the free end of the wire being bent back upon the bent hook-forming portion of the wire to form a rounded nose defining with the adjacent shank-portion of the hook a aring thread-receiving mouth and a restricted throat, which latter is narrower than the normal unsqueezed diameter of a conventional sewing machine thread.

2. A needle-threader having a supporting element and a threader wire carried thereby and projecting therefrom, said wire being bent adjacent its free end to form a hook having a threadreceiving cavity, the extreme free end of the wire being bent back upon the bent hook-forming portion of the wire to form a rounded nose dening with the adjacent shank-portion of the hook a restricted throat narrower than said cavity and an outwardly flaring thread-receiving mouth.

3. A needle-threader having a supporting bar formed with a slot extending longitudinally thereof, a handle attached to one end of said bar, a resilient wire thread hook detachably mounted on the other end of said bar, a guard for said hook slidably mounted on and encasing said bar, said guard having an inwardly struck tongue entering said slot, and a spring disposed in said slot and acting upon said tongue to urge said guard to a position covering said hook.

4. A needle-threader comprising a piece of spring wire bent at one end to form a hook Small enough to freely enter the eye of a conventional sewing machine needle, the free end of the wire being bent back upon the bent hook-forming portion of the wire to form a rounded nose defining with the adjacent shank-portion of the hook a flaring thread-receiving mouth.

DANIEL H. CHASON. 

